Nakilat

Marine services

Nakilat offers marine and support services to all types of vessels operating in Qatari waters, including at ports and terminals in Qatar. These services were established for ships requiring supplies and amenities off the Qatari coast.

Nakilat's towage services are managed by Nakilat SvitzerWisjmuller (NSW) [3], a joint venture established in 2006 between Nakilat and Svitzer Middle East Limited. The latter is part of international towage operator Svitzer, which is wholly owned by Danish shipping group A. P. Moller (Maersk). NSW operates a fleet of 26 vessels, which includes 25 NSW-owned vessels. The fleet comprises tug boats, pilot boats, line boats, crew boats and other harbor craft, based in the Port of Ras Laffan as well as operating in the offshore fields off Halul Island. NSW offers a range of services including towing, escorting, berthing, pilot support, line handling services afloat and ashore, emergency response, and marine maintenance support.

Nakilat Agency Company Ltd. (NAC) [4] is a shipping agency in Qatar, owned 95 per cent by Nakilat and 5 per cent by QatarEnergy. The agency provides services such as handling all port and regulatory matters for vessels loading, offloading and attending the shipyard at the Port of Ras Laffan. These services include agency and logistics support, global hub agency, husbandry, bunker coordination, provision of spares and suppliers, crew change and administration, drydocking support and facilitating customs formalities.

LNG fleet expansion

In May 2024, Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) announced the signing of a long-term agreement [6] to charter and operate nine QC-Max class LNG vessels, as part of QatarEnergy’s program to expand its fleet of LNG carriers. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Vice Chairman, President & CEO of QatarEnergy, and Eng. Abdullah Al Sulaiti, CEO of Nakilat during a special signing ceremony at QatarEnergy’s Headquarters. These nine (QC-Max) vessels, each with a capacity of 271,000 cubic meters, will be 100% owned and operated by Nakilat and chartered to affiliates of QatarEnergy. The vessels will be built in China at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyards. They are part of QatarEnergy’s historic program to support its LNG production expansion capacity from the North Field.

In March 2024, Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) announced that it signed with QatarEnergy the long-term charter party agreements [7] for 25 Conventional LNG Vessels as part of QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion program. QatarEnergy selected Nakilat to be the owner and operator of these vessels according to long-term charter contracts. The LNG carriers, each with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, will be owned 100% by Nakilat and chartered to affiliates of QatarEnergy.

In January 2024, Nakilat announced a strategic shipping expansion [8] through a significant vessel acquisition. Nakilat has placed orders with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) of South Korea for the construction of six gas vessels (two cutting-edge LNG carriers with a cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic meters each and four modern Very Large LPG/ Ammonia Gas carriers, with a substantial cargo capacity of 88,000 cubic meters.) These vessels, which will incorporate modern advancements in propulsion system efficiency, are set to be delivered between 2026 and 2027.

The new LNG and LPG carriers will utilize more modern environmentally friendly propulsion systems through fuel-saving devices, for a greater emphasis on sustainability.

Expansion into FSRU market

In June 2018, Nakilat signed a landmark agreement with Excelerate Energy USA to establish a joint-venture company and acquire a 55% interest in a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU), the first such vessel to join the Nakilat fleet. This was the first FSRU co-owned by a Qatari company, paving the way for Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) to expand its outreach to developing and emerging markets.

A FSRU acts as a hub for LNG deliveries. Located in Port Qasim in Pakistan, the FSRU unit 'Exquisite' has a capacity of 150,900 cubic meters and a peak regasification rate of 745 million cubic feet per day.